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Salcombe - Profile

Location

This attractive town is one of the West Country's most attractive cruising destinations. Its bustling harbour offers something for everyone; wonderful sandy beaches, plenty of sheltered water for dinghy sailing or simply messing about in boats, a quiet anchorage in a remote creek or a mooring in the heart of the action.

Add to all this, a wealth of good restaurants, irresisible waterside pubs and quaint narrow streets and you have everything most cruising folk look for. It is also the home of the legendary Island Cruising Club, based on the distinctive black and white Mersey Ferry boat, Egremont.

The weather forecasts are posted daily in the harbour office window at Whitestrand.

Docking

Once inside, shelter is complete, but the entrance is protected by a shallow bar. In settled weather (or an off-shore wind), with sufficient rise of tide, this presents no problem, and both the day and the night leading lines are easily identified. In a strong onshore wind with the ebb running, the entrance is dangerous and it is best to divert to either Dartmouth or Plymouth.

Practically all boat services can be found here. It does not have a conventional marina. There are plenty of visitors' mooring buoys as well as space to anchor. There are along-side berths on visitors pontoons, but they are not attached to the shore. There are several dinghy landing pontoons and a short-stay (1/2 hr) pontoon off the town for getting water and supplies.

Dinghies - visiting yacht tenders should use the inside (west) side of Normandy pontoon (the seaward southerly one) which is free and reserved for them. Tenders left on Whitestrand pontoon (the northerly one) or foreshore OVERNIGHT in July and August will pay a fine.

In the season, one of the Harbour Master's launches will probably approach the boat and offer help and advice on where to moor. The alongside berths on the visitors pontoon are situated in "The bag". On payment of harbour/mooring fees, 2 free tokens for the showers at Salcombe Yacht Club are included.

Garbage - there are disposal facilities on pontoon moored off Whitestrand and on visitors pontoon in the Bag. There is NO facilities ashore. Public toilets at Whitestrand adjacent to Harbourmasters Office and slip.

Last updated January 2015.

Water Taxi

Tel:+44(0)7807 643879.
,VHF Channel 12 'Salcombe Harbour Taxi'

Opening hours: usually run until about 11.30pm in the season

Yacht Clubs

Specialises in the teaching of sailing. Offers RYA courses from beginner to advanced (with/without accomodation for dinghy and keel boat sailing), dinghy hire. The headquarters, on 'Egremont' has showers, restaurant and bar. The club run a regular launch to and from the town throughout the day.